KOYLI memorial statue is completed

Sculptor Steve Winterburn has confirmed he has finished the statue which will be the main element of a planned memorial to remember the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in the borough.

The pieces of cast metal from which he has created the statue have now been joined together and will be revealed to the committee which has been raising the money for the project later this month.

They will visit Mr Winterburn's foundry in Hull to see it for the first time on Saturday January 21.

The next stage of the construction of the memorial will involve building the stone plinth on which the statue will stand, and then creating a number of metal plaques which will be fixed onto it detailing important information about the regiment.

Doncaster was one of the regiment's main recruiting grounds, and the memorial is planned to be put in Elmfield Park in August.

The last fundraising is underway to pay for the dedication of the statue in the summer.

The Free Press has been campaigning for the memorial in the borough in memory of troops who served with the regiment during the two world wars and in conflicts after the war until 1968, when the regiment was absorbed into the light infantry.

The regiment's museum is already in Doncaster, as are its regimental colours.

We have been campaigning for the memorial to be built under our Free Press KOYLI Monument Campaign, helping to raise funds for the scheme.

The campaign is now just £2,000 short of the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Association's £126,000 target.

KOYLI Appeal Committee member, Percy Potts, said: "We're absolutely delighted about the way it has progressed in a short period of time."

Anyone wanting to back the appeal with a donation or a fundraising event can contact Mr Potts on 01642 271534.